Envelope



C. F. ELMORE Nov. 16, 1937.

ENVELOPE Filed Sept. 25, 1935 3 Shee'ts-Sheet 1 charlairl/more Nov. 16, 1937. c, ELMORE 2,099,007

ENVELOPE Filed Sept. 25, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Nov. 16, 1937. I c. FXELMORE I 2,099,007

ENVELOPE Filed Sept. 23, 1935 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTOR.

a6 Cizariaimmor Patented Nov. 10, 1931 Charles F. Elmore, Evanston,

Ill., assignor, by

direct and mesne assignments, toPilot Letter label (30., a corporation Application September 23, 1935, Serial Nb. 41,680

8 Claims. (01. 229-722) This invention relates to duplex envelopes in which there is a relatively large compartment and also a relatively small compartment, so that first and second class mail, or other kinds of mail, can be sent together as a single piece of mail matter, with means for accessibly sealing either one or both of said.compartments, or with means for otherwise closing either or both compartments of the envelope.

Generally stated, the object of the invention is to provide a novel and improved construction and arrangement whereby, for example, an ordinary large envelope, such as those employed for mailing catalogs or other printed matter,

may be easily converted into. a duplex envelope, by fastening a separate and relatively smaller or label-like envelope, of special construction, to one side of the said larger envelope said smaller envelope having some single thickness edge portions that are attachable by adhesive to the outer surface of the large envelope, or to a box or package, after the label-like envelope has been filled and closed for transportation through the mails.

It is also an object to provide certain details and features of construction tending to increase the general efliciency and the desirability of a duplex envelope of this particular character.

To the foregoing and other useful ends, the 30 invention consists in matters hereinafter set forth and claimed and shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Fig. 1 is a perspective of the duplex envelope embodying the principles of the invention.

35 Fig. 2 is a similar view showing a fragment of said envelope, with a flap thereof in open position.

Fig. 3 is a longitudinal section of the envelope to on line'33 in Fig. 1 of the drawings.

Fig. 4 is a perspective of the blank from which the smaller compartment of the said envelope is made, showing the blank before it is folded.

Fig. 5 shows the said blank in folded condi- 45 tion and ready to be attached to the side of the large envelope forming the larger compartment of the duplex envelope thus formed.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 1, showing a different form of the invention.

Figs. 7 and 8 are perspectives of the blank from which the smaller compartment, shown in Fig. 6, is made.

Fig. 9 is a perspective of a fragment of a duplex envelope, showing a different form of the 55 invention.

Fig. 10 is a perspective of the blank from which the smaller compartment in Fig. 9 is made. Fig. 11 is a view similar to Fig. 9, showing a diflerent'form of the invention. Fig. 12 is a perspective of the blank from 5 which the smaller compartment, shown in Fig. 11, is made.

Fig. 13 is a longitudinal section 'on line l3l3 in Fig. 11 of the drawings.

Fig. 14 is a view similar to Fig. 11, showing a 10 diiierent form of the invention.

Fig. 15 is a perspective view of the blank from which the smaller compartment in Fig. 14 is made, showing the blank before it is folded.

Fig. 16is a rear view of said blank, showing 1 the latter folded and in condition to be attached to the large envelope forming the larger compartment.

. Fig. 17 is an enlarged detail section on line l'||| in Fig. 14 of the drawings. 20

Fig. 18 is a view similar to Fig. 14, showing a different form of the invention.

Fig. 19 is a perspective of the blank from which the smaller compartment in Fig. 18 is made, showing the blank before it is folded.

Fig. 20 is a rear view of said blank, the one shown'in Fig. 19, folded and in condition to be attached to the relatively large envelope forming the larger compartment of the duplex envelope thus formed.

As shown in Figs. 1 to 5 of the drawings, the invention comprises a relatively large envelope I of any suitable form or.construction, but preferably provided with an end flap 2 that may be left sealed or unsealed. A relatively small compartment is formed by the blank shown in Fig.

I 4, which has a front wall section 3 flexibly connected at the line 4 with the rear wall section 5, the wall 3 having awide notch 6 at one end thereof, and the adjacent end of the section 5 having a flap l, as shown. The single thickness edges 8 and 9 of the section 3 extend beyond the edges [0 and II of the section 5, when the blank is folded, and the edge portions in and l l are gummedand causedto adhere to the inner surface of the front wall section 3, when the blank is folded as shown in Fig. 5. The rear surfaces of the edge portions 8 and 9, and the rear surface of the section 5, are then gummed all over, and the pocket thus formed is then pasted on the surface of the larger envelope I, preferably on "the front side thereof, as shown in Fig. 1 of the drawings. The flap I may be gummed to seal the smaller compartment, but, as shown, it is left loose and tucked inside the smaller compartment, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 1 of the drawings, so that the entire duplex envelope and its contents may be sent through the mails with fourth class postage thereon.

As shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, the construction is similar to that previously described, but in this case the smaller compartment is formed by the blank shown in Figs. 7 and 8 of the drawings, and the front wall section l2 ls formed at its upper edge with a wide notch ii, at its ends with flaps i4, and at its lower edge with the flap I, which flaps are gummed to adhere to the surface of the relatively large envelope l6 forming the larger compartment of the duplex envelope thus provided, and in addition the flaps i4 adhere to the end portions of the wall IT, as indicated in H8. 8 of the drawings. The rear wall section II of the blank has the flap i5 cut therefrom, as shown. and has its other edge provided with a flap I! that is gummed at iii to adhere to the front of the section I 2 previously described. as shown in Fig. 6 of the drawings. The upper flap 2! is also cut out of the section II, and is integral with the sealing flap i8, whereby the pocketlike envelope thus formed is provided with upper and lower and end flaps that are gummed to secure the pocket to the surface of the envelope It, to form a duplex envelope having relatively large and small compartments. It will also be seen that the ends of the wall ll are gummed, as shown in Fig.7, for pasting on the surface of. the large envelope.

As shown in Figs. 9 and 10, the construction is similar to that shown in Figs. 6, 7 and 8, except that in this case the flaps l5 and 20 are omitted, and the blank forming the smaller compartment is only provided with the end flaps 2|, of single thickness, that adhere to the surface of the larger envelope.

As shown in Figs. 11, 12 and 13, the construction is similar to that shown in Figs. 9 and 10, except that in this case the rear wall section 22 of the blank is provided with end flaps 23 that are tucked inside and gummed to adhere to the inner surface of the front wall section 24, when the blank is folded, so that with the end flaps 25 adhering to the surface of the larger envelope, a tight pocket is provided which can be sealed by the flap 26, as shown in Fig. 11 of the drawings.

As shown in Figs. 14, 15, 16 and 17, the construction comprises a blank having a front wall section 21 provided with end flaps 28 and 29, the flap 28 being gummed to adhere to the inner surface of the rear wall section ll, and the flap 29 being left ungummed. The rear wall section 30 has the end'flaps 3i that are gummed on their rear surfaces, as shown in Fig. 16, to adhere to the outer surface of the relatively large envelope 32, as shown in Fig. 14 of the drawings. The section 30 has the upper flap 33 that is gummed at St, along the edges thereof, to adhere to the outer surface of the section 21, as shown in Fig.14 of the drawings, thus leaving the relatively small pocket or compartment open at one end, where the flap 29 is provided, but sealed all around elsewhere. Of course, for first class mail, the flap 29 can be gummed to close this end of. the smaller compartment, before thecompartment is closed by the flap 33, in a manner that will be readily understood.

As shown in Figs. 18, 19 and 20, the front wa section 35, of the blank from which the smaller compartment is made, is provided with end flaps 36, and an upper flap 31, which flaps are gummed on their inner surfaces to adhere to the surface of the larger envelope 38, as shownin Fig. 18 of the drawings. The rear wall section 39 of this blank is provided with gummed end flaps 40 that are turned in and caused to adhere to the inner surface of the section 35, when the blank is folded,

and the flap ll of the section 39 is loose and mere- Lv tucked inside, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 18 of the drawings. In this way, the smaller compartment is sealed by the flap 31, after the appropriate mail matter is placed inside thereof. If it be desired to secure the smaller compartment in place, say on a large envelope, before inserting anything in the small compartment, then the flap 3'! is'not pasted in place until after the desired insertion has been made.

It will be understood, of course, that the front wall of the smallercompartment may have a transparent window, asshown, or may have an ordinary surface upon which the address may be placed.

In each form of the invention, it will be seen, the blank from which the smaller compartment is formed is of such character as to, in itself, practically provide a relatively small envelope, which can be. loaded with the desired contents, either before or' after it is secured to the relatively large envelope, and which is provided with some single thickness edge portions that are gummed to adhere to the surface of the larger envelope. These edge portions of single thickness necessarily extend beyond the interior of the small compartment, so that for these portions only single thickness edges will appear on the surface of the envelope. In this way, letters or invoices or circulars can be placed in the smaller compartment, either before or after the latter is secured to the larger envelope, and when thus secured in place, single thickness edge portions not only securely attach the relatively small envelopelike pocket to the larger envelope, but

also provide a minimum of thickness on the outer surface of the larger compartment. In this way, there is less danger of the smaller compartment, which is in the nature of a label pasted on the outer surface of the larger compartment, being torn off from the surface of the larger envelope, as the single thickness edges of the blank, in each form of the invention, are so thin that they are not easily caught and torn away from the outer surface of the larger envelope. In this way, ordinary relatively large envelopes can be employed, and by using the relatively small pocket, formed by the blank, of one form or another, each large envelope can be converted into a satisfactory duplex envelope.

It will be understood that a box or wrapper or container of any suitable or desired character may, for the broader purposes of the invention, be'employed as the equivalent of the larger envelope shown and described, and the word envelope, wherever it is used with reference to the said relatively large envelope, is employed in that sense, for it is obvious that the label-like pocket or relatively small compartment can be attached to a box or wrapper or any other container that may be sent through the mails subject to the proper postage thereon.

It will also be seen that in each form of the invention the pocket or mailer compartment is secured in fixed position, permanently, on the outer surface of one side wall of the envelope forming the larger compartment. In this way, in each form of the invention, the larger compartment has a closing flap that will afford access to the interior of the larger compartment without disturbing the smaller compartment.

From the foregoing it will also be seen that the invention is in the nature of a label, in envelope form, that can be affixed to a package or box, or to a larger envelope. In this way, the user of the envelope shown and described can make the duplex envelopes therefrom, by buying these label envelopes, and by then amxing the same to larger envelopes, of the kind shown and described. In that way, the complete duplex envelope does not need to be manufactured and sold as such, as the label envelope alone can be manufactured and sold separately, and the user can use them in the production of complete duplex envelopes, if so desired, or the label envelopes can be used on packages or boxes or other containers.

The label-like envelope or paster formed by the invention has only a single entrance through which it is adapted to be filled and closed, either before or after it is fastened by its single thickness edges to the large envelope or to the surface of a box or package. By providing its single closing fiap with the gummed surface, the paster or label can be sealed, as well as closed,-before or after it issecured to the large envelope, or to a box or package. Thus a number of these labellike envelopes can be filled and sealed, or closed loosely, whichever is desired, and then sent to other workers who will attach them to larger envelopes, or to boxes or packages, or to any form of container. In each form of the invention, the closing flap extends in open position behind the letter or other enclosure, when the latter is being inserted through the entrance into the compartment.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. As an article of manufacture, means in the form of a paper label or paster having two walls forming between them a relatively small compartment in fixed position on the outside surface of an envelope, or of a box or package, having a plurality of gummed single thickness edge portions for pasting to said surface outside the area of said compartment, either before or after the label or paster is filled and closed, and a single entrance only for a letter or other enclosure, at one edge of said compartment, with a single thickness closing flap integral with one edge of the inner wall of said compartment and extending in open position at the back of the enclosure while the latter is being inserted back of the front wall of said compartment through said entrance.

2. As an article of manufacture, means formed from a single sheet of paper in the form of a paper label or paster having two walls forming between them a relatively small compartment in fixed position on the outside surface of an envelope or box or package, adapted to be filled and closed either before or after being attached to said envelope or box or package, having a plurality of gummed single thickness edge portions for pasting to said surface outside of the area of said compartment, and having only a single entrance for a letter, and a closing flap integral with one edge of the entrance for closing the latter.

3. A structure as specified in claim 2, said edge portions being in the form of flaps on the ends and one longitudinal edge of the outer wall of said compartment, extending beyond the interior of the latter.

4. A structure as specified in claim 2, said edge portions being integral extensions of the inside wall of said compartment, at each end of the latter, extending a distance beyond the interior of the compartment.

5. A structure as specified in claim 2, said compartment having an inside wall integrally united at its lower edge to the lower edge of its outside wall, so that it can be loaded and sealed before it is pasted on the said envelope or box or package.

6. A structure as specified in claim 2, said edge portions comprising single thickness flaps at horizontal and vertical edges of the compartment, extending beyond the interior of the latter.

7. A structure as specified in claim 2, said edge portions comprising an integral portion of the front wall of said compartment, at each end of the latter, extending a distance beyond the interior of the compartment.

8. A structure as specified in claim 2, said gummed edge portions being integral extensions of the front wall of said compartment, extending beyond edges of the latter.

CHARLES T ELMORE. 

